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Prof. Dr. Michael Ortiz strengthens the Hausdorff Center as a Bonn Research Chair

Prof. Dr. Michael Ortiz strengthens the Hausdorff Center as a Bonn Research Chair

Research Chair will be will be a part-time position

Prof. Dr. Michael Ortiz joins the Hausdorff Center for Mathematics at the University of Bonn as a new Research Chair – an international recruitment at the highest level. It was possible to recruit the engineer not least because of a flexible, “intercontinental” schedule agreement: Professor Ortiz will spend half of his time in Bonn and the other half with his previous employer, the Caltech Institute in Pasadena/USA.

“We are proud to welcome Michael Ortiz as a new colleague at the Hausdorff Center. The fact that we could attract such an outstanding, worldwide leading scientist to join us is a huge success for our excellence cluster in mathematics, for the University of Bonn, and for the German scientific community” says Karl-Theodor Sturm, director of the Hausdorff Center.

The new Bonn Research Chair is financed with money from the excellence initiative and emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary and international cooperation for the Hausdorff Center and the University of Bonn. “Bonn is among the most attractive places worldwide for researchers in mathematics and its applications – but without the extra impact of the excellence initiative we would not be able to get someone like Ortiz,” states Karl-Theodor Sturm.

Michael Ortiz is currently Frank and Ora-Lee Marble Professor of Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering at the California Institute of Technology and will split his time between Caltech and Bonn from September on.

In his research, he focuses on solid mechanics, a field that connects physics, computational mechanics, engineering, and applied mathematics. “Solid mechanicians act as a bridge between fundamental science and industry. Our research and our papers are always application-driven,” he explains about his research field. Michael Ortiz received the Timoshenko Medal in 2015, which is widely regarded as the highest international award in applied mechanics. “In Bonn, I am very much looking forward to working with world-class mathematicians in bringing outstanding problems from the physical sciences and engineering to mathematics,” he says.

"Having Michael Ortiz within the team now is another manifestation of the crucial role of mathematics for nowadays development of scientific and technological progress” comments Karl-Theodor Sturm on the announcement of the new chair.